Saturday, February 23, 2019

New Orleans, LA Edition: Hansen's Sno-Bliz

Take Hansen's Sno-Bliz. This icy dessert spot is in a white cinder block building, hand-drawn letting outside and has fans from all over.

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz was started by Ernest and Mary Hansen in 1939. Ernest invented the first ice shaving machine and Mary created her own flavored syrups.

Decades later, Hansen’s still makes its own flavors every day, from Mary’s secret recipes, and creates snoballs from the original machine. The combination of fluffy ice and homemade syrups demand that each Sno-Bliz be made in layers – ice, syrup, ice, syrup, and so forth – so that the final product is fully saturated upholding the Hansen’s motto: “There are no shortcuts to quality.”

Hansen’s is now owned and operated by Ernest and Mary’s granddaughter, Ashley. We are proud to be named a 2014 American Classic by the James Beard Foundation.

Sno-balls in Louisiana are similar to what the rest of the country calls snow cones, but they are made with more finely shaved ice and a large variety of homemade syrups.

The WV Pepperoni Roll

The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll is a comprehensive history of the unofficial state food of West Virginia. It tells the story of the immigrants, business owners, and more who have devoured this simple yet practical food since its invention. Order here.